This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 90220593, filed on Nov. 28, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor-driven air pump, more particularly to a motor-driven air pump that enables an impeller to operate at a relatively low idling pressure so as to result in speedy inflation and deflation of an inflatable object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inflatable articles, such as inflatable mattresses and cushions, can be inflated to serve their intended purposes. As the inflatable articles generally occupy a large amount of space when in an inflated state of use, they are usually deflated after use so as to facilitate storage. Therefore, it would be most desirable if the process of inflation or deflation can be conducted in a very convenient and quick manner.
In a conventional motor-driven air pump for inflating and deflating inflatable articles, motors are used to drive an impeller to generate currents of air. As a known impeller is generally of an axial or centrifugal type, and will generate high idling pressures during operation, a powerful and often costly motor is needed in order to overcome the idling pressures while driving the impeller. As a consequence, the air pump will generate large amounts of heat after a short period of use.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a motor-driven air pump for inflating an inflatable object, which can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a motor-driven air pump for inflating and deflating an inflatable object, which can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an air pump-and-valve assembly for inflating and deflating an inflatable object, which can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a motor-driven air pump for inflating an inflatable body. The air pump includes a bottom wall with a periphery; a surrounding barrier wall which extends upwardly from the periphery to terminate at a surrounding upper edge and which has an outer surrounding wall surface that surrounds an axis, and an inner surrounding wall surface opposite to the outer surrounding wall surface in radial directions and surrounding a receiving space. The surrounding barrier wall includes first and second inner peripheral. The first inner peripheral edges defining a first internal port and the second inner peripheral edges defining a second internal port. The first and second internal ports being in fluid communication with the receiving space.
A first chamber is positioned radially outwardly from the first inner peripheral edges and defines a first duct which extends in an axial direction that is parallel to the axis. The first duct is also positioned radially and outwardly from the surrounding barrier wall and communicates with the first internal port radially. A second chamber is positioned radially outwardly from the second inner peripheral edges and defines a second duct which extends in the axial direction. The second duct is also positioned radially and outwardly from the surrounding barrier wall and communicates with the second internal port radially.
A first external port is disposed proximate to the surrounding upper edge and communicates with the first duct such that the first external port is upstream of the first internal port when the first external port serves to introduce air in an inflating mode.
A second external port is adapted to be in fluid communication with the inflatable body. The second external port is disposed proximate to the bottom wall and communicates with the second duct.
An impeller is mounted in the receiving space and is rotatable relative to the bottom wall about the axis such that, in the inflating mode, when the impeller rotates to sweep by the first internal port, air that is introduced through the first external port will be entrained via the first internal port and will be impelled to enter into the second duct via the second internal port by virtue of centrifugal force for subequent passage through the second external port and into the inflatable body so as to inflate the inflatable body and speedily relieve the impeller from a back pressure that impedes movement of the impeller.
A drive motor is disposed to drive the impeller.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a motor-driven air pump for inflating and deflating an inflatable body that includes a bottom wall with a periphery; a surrounding barrier wall which extends upwardly from the periphery to terminate at a surrounding upper edge and which has an outer surrounding wall surface that surrounds an axis, and an inner surrounding wall surface opposite to the outer surrounding wall surface in radial directions and surrounding a receiving space. The surrounding barrier wall including first and second inner peripheral edges spaced apart from each other. The first inner peripheral edges defining a first internal port and the second inner peripheral edges defining a second internal port. The first and second internal ports being in fluid communication with the receiving space. The second internal port being disposed behind the first internal port in a clockwise direction.
A first chamber is positioned radially outwardly from the first inner peripheral edges and defines a first duct which extends in an axial direction that is parallel to the axis. The first duct is also positioned radially and outwardly from the surrounding barrier wall and communicates with the first internal port radially.
A second chamber is positioned radially outwardly from the second inner peripheral edges and defines a second duct which extends in the axial direction. The second duct is also positioned radially and outwardly from the surrounding barrier wall and communicates with the second internal port radially.
A first external port is disposed proximate to the surrounding upper edge and communicating with the first duct such that the first external port is upstream of the first internal port when the first external port serves to introduce air in an inflating mode.
A second external port is adapted to be in fluid communication with the inflatable body, the second external port being disposed proximate to the bottom wall and communicating with the second duct such that the second external port is disposed upstream of the second internal port when the second external port serves to channel air released from the inflatable body in a deflating mode.
An impeller is mounted in the receiving space and rotatable relative to the bottom wall about the axis in the counterclockwise and clockwise directions, which correspond to the inflating and deflating modes, respectively, such that, in the inflating mode, when the impeller rotates in the counterclockwise direction to sweep by the first internal port, air that is introduced through the first external port will be entrained via the first internal port and will be impelled in the counterclockwise direction to enter into the second duct via the second internal port by virtue of centrifugal force for subsequent passage through the second external port and into the inflatable body so as to inflate the inflatable body and speedily relieve the impeller from a back pressure that impedes movement of the impeller; and such that, in the deflating mode, when the impeller rotates in the clockwise direction to sweep by the second internal port, air that is drawn out of the inflatable body through the second external port will be entrained via the second internal port and will be impelled in the clockwise direction to enter into the first duct via the first internal port by virtue of centrifugal force for subsequent escape through the first external port to thereby deflate the inflatable body.
A drive motor is disposed to drive the impeller to rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction and a switch member is coupled to and controls the drive motor to drive the impeller to rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
According to a further aspect of the invention, an air pump-and-valve assembly is adapted to be built in and secured sealingly to an inflatable body. The air pump-and-valve assembly includes a motor-driven air pump adapted for inflating and deflating an inflatable body. The air pump includes a bottom wall with a periphery; a surrounding barrier wall which extends from the periphery upwardly to terminate at a surrounding upper edge and which has an outer surrounding wall surface that surrounds an axis, and an inner surrounding wall surface opposite to the outer surrounding wall surface in radial directions and surrounding a receiving space. The surrounding barrier wall includes first inner peripheral edges and second inner peripheral edges spaced apart from each other. The first inner peripheral edges defining a first internal port and the second inner peripheral edges defining a second internal port. The first and second internal ports are in fluid communication with the receiving space. The second internal port is disposed behind the first internal port in a clockwise direction.
A first chamber is positioned radially outwardly from the first inner peripheral edges and defines a first duct which extends in an axial direction that is parallel to the axis. The first duct is also positioned radially and outwardly from the surrounding barrier wall and communicates with the first internal port radially.
A second chamber is positioned radially outwardly from the second inner peripheral edges and defines a second duct which extends in the axial direction. The second duct is also positioned radially outwardly from the surrounding barrier wall and communicates with the second internal port radially.
A first external port is adapted to be disposed externally of the inflatable body. The first external port being disposed proximate to the surrounding upper edge and communicating with the first duct such that the first external port is disposed upstream of the first internal port when the first external port serves to introduce air in an inflating mode.
A second external port is adapted to be disposed within the inflatable body and to be in fluid communication with the inflatable body. The second external port being disposed proximate to the bottom wall and communicating with the second duct such that the second external port is disposed upstream of the second internal port when the second external port serves to channel air released from the inflatable body in a deflating mode.
An impeller is mounted in the receiving space and is rotatable relative to the bottom wall about the axis in the counterclockwise and clockwise directions, which correspond to the inflating and deflating modes, respectively, such that, in the inflating mode, when the impeller rotates in the counterclockwise direction to sweep by the first internal port, air that is introduced through the first external port will be entrained via the first internal port and will be impelled in the counterclockwise direction to enter into the second duct via the second internal port by virtue of centrifugal force for subsequent passage through the second external port and into the inflatable body so as to inflate the inflatable body and speedily relieve the impeller from a back pressure which impedes movement of the impeller; and such that, in the deflating mode, when the impeller rotates in the clockwise direction to sweep by the second internal port, air that is drawn out of the inflatable body through the second external port will be entrained via the second internal port and will be impelled in the clockwise direction to enter into the first duct via the first internal port by virtue of centrifugal force for subsequent escape through the first external port to thereby deflate the inflatable body.
A drive motor is disposed to drive the impeller to rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
A switch member is coupled to and controls the drive motor to drive the impeller to rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
A closure member is disposed to close the first external port when the drive motor is deactivated so as not to drive the impeller to rotate in either one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.